Maria-Soledad Diaz
Born in Chile, Soledad studied Social Sciences and Law at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Professional Photography at Universidad del Pacifico. She has dedicated her professional life to serving underprivileged communities and has focused her work in equity, social justice and anti-violence work. Currently, Soledad is the Public Policy and Community Impact Director for Violence Free Colorado, Chair of the Community Advisory Board for Downtown Boulder Partnership and is committed through her work in all its different ways and forms, to strengthen our sense of community and become a part of each other’s solutions.
Lizzie Friend
Lizzie Friend is passionate about equity in public health and the criminal justice system. She is currently a section manager at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, where she manages data science, technology, population health epidemiology, and communicable disease epidemiology programs for the department. In her last role, she served as the Director of Performance Management and Strategy for the Denver Sheriff Department, where she worked to promote data integrity, data-driven decision-making, innovation, and reform. She holds a master's degree in data science from the University of California Berkeley and also has experience working in finance and consumer products research. She lives in South Boulder and is raising two kids in BVSD schools.
Bill de la Cruz
Bill de la Cruz is a facilitator, trainer and developer of community engagement conversations with a variety of constituents. Bill has worked with police departments, first responders, educators in K-12 and higher education, municipalities, healthcare workers, attorneys, nonprofits and human resource agencies in Boulder County and around the state and country. His work is grounded in conversations about ways to enhance and evolve systemic policies, practices and protocols to lead to improved outcomes. Additionally, he supports individuals and groups to resolve conflict and build sustainable skills to transform conflict into learning and growth opportunities. In his work as a consultant, Bill works with organizations and individuals to understand and break through the impacts of bias, judgments and stereotypes in how we see and interact with each other.
Alan O'Hashi
Alan O’Hashi is an author and filmmaker based in Boulder, Colorado. He recently released a book, “Views from Beyond Metropolis: Reimagine the American Way and learn ways to bridge multicultural divides in an ever-changing world,” and a documentary film, “The Arapaho Covered Wagon Redux” about tribal efforts to regain land in Boulder taken after the Sand Creek Massacre. He is a seasoned diversity and cultural competency trainer facilitating groups, including the City of Boulder Police Department Victim Advocates and Boulder Valley School District high school mentors. Alan has presented at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Conference, the National Practitioners Conference on Civic Engagement, and the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance Conference. He is a past member of the Boulder Human Relations Commission and Boulder Planning Board and served on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Wyoming Advisory Committee. Alan completed a U.S. Department of Justice Hate Crime Training for Region VIII and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the CU-Denver Center for Domestic Violence Prevention.
Kristen Drybread
Kristen Drybread holds a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from Columbia University and has conducted ethnographic research on policing and imprisonment in cities through Brazil with support from organizations including the Fulbright Hays Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, The São Paul Foundation for Research, and the British Academy. After working as an elementary school teacher in New Orleans, a research editor at Condé Nast magazines in New York City, and a post-doctoral research fellow in São Paulo, Kristen made her way to Boulder. She is now a member of the CU Anthropology faculty who teaches courses on, among other things, the relationship between policing and popular culture. She is also the parent of two children; one attends a BVSD high school the other is a BVSD graduate.
Evan Gerber
Evan is an emergency physician who practices across multiple clinical settings along Colorado's Front Range, including Boulder Community Health. Before medical school, he worked with a nonprofit serving economically disadvantaged youth through summer camp and after-school programs. During medical school, he conducted research on homelessness and substance use. He has practiced in diverse environments ranging from urban emergency departments to tribal health facilities and maintains an active role in medical education. Evan is committed to bringing a public safety perspective grounded in frontline clinical experience to the work of the oversight panel.
JD Aurelius von Beres
JD Aurelius von Beres is an educator, writer and veteran living in Boulder, Colorado, where they teach coding, robotics, and space science to young learners. A queer former servicemember of color, JD's perspective is shaped by a unique military career spanning both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army—experience they now channel into fostering growth, accountability, and inclusive learning environments. In the classroom, JD is known for using differentiated instruction and data-driven feedback to help diverse student populations build critical problem-solving skills. They are currently deepening their own expertise as a student pursuing a degree in Computer Science from the University of London, with a specialization in machine learning and artificial intelligence. A recipient of the Colorado Governor's Community Service Award, JD is committed to bringing their background in structured environments, conflict resolution, and community engagement to the work of the oversight panel.
Jennifer Hein
Lawrence Wojcik
Lawrence is honored to join the Boulder Police Oversight Panel. He and his wife moved here from Evanston, Illinois to be part of the Boulder Community because they felt it strongly aligned with their values - a community that valued its diversity and strove to provide fair and impartial justice to all. Lawrence practiced trial law for over 45 years, and throughout his career was involved with many pro bono activities. These included civil rights, indigent criminal defense, prisoner rights, and juvenile defense cases. With respect to juveniles, he helped develop cases and policy to end juvenile sentences of life without parole. In these efforts, he served as the lead author on several American Bar Association amicus briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of juveniles. In an effort to improve the criminal justice system in Cook County, Illinois, Lawrence collaborated with judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and law enforcement to implement joint data sharing protocols. These protocols provided all stakeholders with consistent and reliable information regarding individuals in the criminal justice system. He received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law and his undergraduate degree in Commerce from DePaul University. He is a member of the Illinois bar and an Illinois CPA.
Curtis Rogers
Curtis K. Rogers is a dedicated advocate for justice, community empowerment, and transformative healing. As a student at Naropa University studying psychology with a focus on Buddhist-informed contemplative counseling, he brings a unique perspective shaped by his lived experiences. Curtis is committed to fostering accountability, transparency, and trust between law enforcement and the community through his role on the Boulder Police Oversight Panel.
James "Turner" Land
Turner Land is a student studying linguistics and international affairs at University of Colorado, Boulder, and is academically interested in international policing and the relationship between linguistics and law. He hails from southeast Louisiana, and has been in Boulder since 2021. Outside of school, he works in the campus's Norlin Library. Turner is committed to working with the panel to help cultivate a relationship between the Boulder community and police in the pursuit of safety and peace in the city of Boulder.
